Grenade removed from yard in Portales

PORTALES, N.M. - Police evacuated a neighborhood near a city park and an explosives ordnance disposal team from Cannon Air Force Base responded after residents discovered a hand grenade in a yard.

Authorities received a call about the grenade Saturday shortly before 2 p.m. Two hours later, the Cannon team scooped up the grenade, placed it into an armored trailer and drove away.

Steve and Margaret Hodge said they were working in the yard, preparing to install a new lawn for a relative, when they found the device. Steve Hodge said he immediately recognized the weapon and alerted police.

"I thought it was a pine cone from the tree," said Margaret Hodge, who initially struck the grenade with a rake.

Police Capt. Lonnie Berry said residents and others were asked to evacuate from the area, including a park where a youth baseball practice was being held. Police called the Cannon team after officers couldn't determine if the weapon was live.

"It looks like it's probably been in the ground for years," Berry said.